My Kitten
by Miss Nae Malfoy
Summary: Kitty Pryde is a young girl working hard to gain respect with the X-Men, and Piotr Rasputin is a powerful, distinguished man that has set his sights on Shadowcat. With time, her adoration for him and his posessiveness only grows. How will this X-Men fair?
1. Take Your Time

I peered down at my lap; the silk white gown Storm stuffed me in was really unnecessary. This Hero Ball was for people like Logan and Professor Xavier, not half-witted sidekicks like me. The tight bodice (curving in for a dashing empire waist) proved to be as uncomfortable as it looked, draped on a fancy hanger in Storm's closet; I never got the chance to ask her what the dress was for (quite frankly I had never seen her in it, and I always saw her before she left to fancy functions of the city). I just knew that it was expensive, and very dear to her. As she helped me fit into it, her grey crystalline eyes were glossy and far off- and so it began to rain outside. I ignored the feeling of surveillance, as I doubted anyone would take a double-look at me. I still looked fifteen, I knew that. Logan reminded me anytime he pleased. "Madame, a gentleman requested that I send this to your table." A faceless waiter spoke gently from my left, his slim frame shielding the lively dance floor in front of me.

I gasped in surprise, but hid it very well. "Oh, well, I can't afford that bottle." I gestured the fancy bottle of White Chardonnay he was holding with a napkin hand and shook my head. I was here on an invitation to celebrate the Mayor's birthday, but it wasn't a very personal request. Mayor Delaney was close friends with Professor X, and so the whole house was invited. I felt that it was time to step out of my confines of teen hood and accept that I was a blossoming woman. The rest of the house refused to show up.

The waiter (with a snobbishly prude French accent) pursed his lips in light amusement. "No, Madame, this bottle was sent by another table. It is free of charge to you." It must have cracked him up to see a middle class girl try to swing her way about all of these head elite men and women. I had never seen so many people in ties and cummerbunds- ladies in sequins and satin gloves. It was like a beautiful fifties movie!

"Oh." My lips pursed softly. "In any sense, I can't accept this. It is far too much." I shook my head. I didn't mention that I was only nineteen, not near enough to twenty-one to drink yet. Sure, I did enjoy wine time to time at the house. But never in public did I indulge a sip!

"Madam, it is very rude not to accept a gift from gentlemen, you must know as much. Shall we not offend Mayor Delaney's guests tonight, hmm?" I didn't like the feeling I got when I accepted gifts or help from strangers, but it was true that I didn't want to step on anyone's toes either. Someone probably recognized me as one of Professor Xavier's students, and wanted to share some gratitude. I finally nodded in acceptance, and he poured the wine gracefully in my glass. His nametag read Doufre, and I wasn't so sure how to pronounce it. I wanted severely to serve some sort of gratitude for a kind gift. How could I do that when I couldn't even pronounce his name?

Since I couldn't say his name, I gently grabbed his arm before he turned to leave. He served a wretched look down upon me; had I frightened him? I didn't mean to, I _was_ Kitty Pryde- I couldn't hurt a fly! Did he feel like I was in his personal space? I quickly retracted my hand, feeling stupid for even touching him. "Do you know who sent me this? I would like to give them thanks."

He shook his head. "I am not at liberty to say, madam. Just try to enjoy the fruit of your winnings." And he walked away, a scoff in the way he trotted off. I sighed in contentment and turned back around in my chair, sipping lightly from my large glass as I watched the dancers glide around. They were so in their element! It was like they practiced a million times before, just waiting for the moment a banquet came up to show off their talents! Many of us in the room were mutants- from birth or childhood, it didn't matter. Mayor Delaney's own son would be attending X-Men Academy (as it was being acclaimed) when he turned sixteen in the fall. He had to accept mutants very early on.

And exactly did Doufre mean when he said "enjoy the fruit of your winnings"? I looked down at my wine and stirred it lightly, contemplating who would know I loved Chardonnay. Either I knew someone here well or a stranger guessed my favor. A few more songs played before the mayor gave his short speech and sat back down. I was placed with a couple from Bulgaria, whom were young and sharp- but spoke little to no English. They introduced themselves before dinner, but I couldn't begin to remember where the vowels and emphasis went. The same waiter from an hour before arrived at my table again, this time with a tray tailing him. Mr. and Mrs. whatever-they-were eyed the ensemble curiously. "For me?" I jabbed a finger at my exposed collarbone.

Doufre nodded with a sly smile. "Yes, Madame. You are done with your bottle, aren't you? This time, you were sent Red Zinfandel, with a bowl of strawberries and a plate of our very own specialty here at Veirdoghy- sweet, creamy Tiramisu for the entire table." He said with a flourish- as if there were a hundred of us, not merely three.

I eyed the silver cart with disdain. "Thank you, but I will have to decline-"

"Oh, that is _not_ polite!" The green eyed, long-legged brunette outraged in her butchered English. "You must accept." Her thin eyes pleaded.

I upturned my nose. "You may enjoy the spoils of another man's cowardice, but I will not! Tell whomever sent this that I simply will not take things from a stranger." And I got up and walked off, taking my small beaded clutch with me. The black pumps that I borrowed straight from Rogue's closest were half a size too small, which now as I was walking away, made a certain difference. I promised myself that I would fling them off as soon as I stepped foot into the boarding rooms, because I needed some motivation. I felt like Julia Roberts in "Pretty Woman" being so out of my element and trying to be bought by some man! I was almost to the lobby when a massive hand shot out and blocked my way. I looked down at it and followed it up a muscled arm, along a thick neck, and all the way to a strong, defined jaw structure. Everything about his ivory skin was flawless and chiseled, from his eccentrically blue eyes to his high cheekbones, his blond hair was gelled back, and oh, it looked soft! I couldn't quite as his plum lower lip and thinner upper lip upturned to a warm smile.

"Good evening, Miss Pryde." He stepped in front of me, fully blocking the doorway with his wide expanse. Those shoulders…they looked comfortable enough to live in (and they were broad enough, too)!

I cleared my throat, trying not to drool as I spoke. "Good evening." I mumbled back. Was I doing a swell job so far? I couldn't quite tell. How did this gorgeous entity know my name? And he said it with such familiarity… like he knew me?

"Would you care to dance?" His accent was either Russian, or Slovakian- I couldn't tell. I was actually really bad with foreign placements. I could barely recognize them on maps, and I hated myself for the lack of knowledge.

I shook my head. "I'm actually quite horrible; two left feet." I gestured down to my high-heeled feet, which were screaming at me to just sit down somewhere already, and shrugged. He shook his head, a sweet masculine chuckle leaving his pink lips.

"I am assured you, you don't. No one I born such a way." He was sort of serious as he spoke, as if reassuring me I had two different feet.

"Oh, I'm sorry! "Two left feet" is a saying, as in "I'm really bad at coordination"." He got it finally and nodded.

"Ah, yes. I apologize for my ignorance to American terms and idioms; I suppose I should brush up on them while I am here?" I nodded, smiling like an idiot. Why did he make me feel so special by just speaking to me? I didn't get it. "Please, share just one dance with me? The evening is still very young." I glanced up large, Roman-style clock and realized it was only nine o clock- Ororo didn't expect me back until midnight! I gave my hand, entitling my full trust in this massive guy who somehow knew my name without me knowing his.

"Sow, what's your name?" I figured it was a smooth enough question. He placed one arm across my lower back; right above the swell of my bum- his other angled itself to take left hand within his own. I held the ball of his shoulder as we swayed slowly; he was more than a head taller than me, which was clear. Just how tall was he? When could I slip that question in?

"Piotr Rasputin." He brought me closer with the new piece of information.

"Piotr." I played with it on my tongue. "That sounds… so exotic." I grinned up at him. My catholic parents named me Katherine Anne, with out any real flavor or thought. My two siblings, Karolina and Konnor, received names of my father's uncle and my great-grandmother. I, on the other hand, was probably named after my delivery nurse. "Are you Russian? Ukrainian?"

He nodded. "I am from a small city in Siberia." I racked my brain to remember Siberia. Siberia…Siberia…Siberia…like the beautiful snow dogs, Siberian Huskies? Let's see, they have lots of fur…are white like snow most of the time. It snowed in Siberia, because Ororo always talked about the Siberian Mountains in Geography. Russia? Did it snow in the Ukraine?

"Sometimes I wish my family was from another region. I mean, my great-grandfather was from Poland, and he came to America in his teens to find a job and to live freely. But, I never knew him." I shrugged, feeling stupid for even bringing up useless stuff like that. "How is it in Siberia?"

Piotr looked down at me in contemplation. "Cold." He finally uttered.

I laughed quietly, not wanting to get too loud and attract any attention. "No, _dummy_, I mean like what it looks like."

He quirked an eyebrow at me. "Dummy?"

I rolled my eyes. "_Dummy_ means-"

"I know what _dummy_ means, Miss Pryde." There was a slightly contentious tone to his smooth voice. "I haven't been called such a thing since the last time I spoke to my sister." He chuckled again. "Where I was born, it snowed for nine months out of the year. Baikal was a winter wonderland growing up. My younger sister and brother, Mikhail and Illyana, made me do many things I would have never done myself."

I smiled at that. "So you are the oldest of three? I'm the youngest of three."

"Is that so?" I nodded.

"But my older brother and sister were already in grammar school when I was born. They're both almost thirty now, more than a decade older than me." I rolled my eyes. What possessed my mom and dad to have me when my youngest sibling was already ten? The age gap was just inexcusable! "Karolina and Konnor are in their own world sometimes. My mom and dad don't see it, but I always did. I guess I've always been the youngest, the smallest, and the weakest."

Piotr shook his head, spinning us around like a wizard in a spell. "You are not weak, Miss Pryde. Tiny yes, but not measly. Strength does not necessarily come with height."

"Yeah, easy for you to say! You're like, seven feet tall." I teased, resting in his embrace and ignoring my throbbing feet.

"I am 6'7, Miss Pryde." He chided back.

"Call me Katherine." I eased, not sure if he wanted us to be on first names basis. I would be fine calling him Mr. Rasputin, if that was what he so wanted. Piotr Rasputin was an addictive kind of guy.

"Of course, Katherine. Would you like to sit for awhile? Your feet must ache." He sent a look of concern to my lower extremities. I nodded in gratitude and followed him to an unoccupied table. What kind of guy noticed and cared about women's feet in high heels? Either he was gay, or he genuinely cared. I knew which of those I wanted him to be; I just didn't know which of them he was so far. "You were a wonderful dancer, on a side note."

I rolled my eyes and leaned my elbow on the clothed table. "Whatever! Dancing is not and will never be a talent of mine. Just not in the cards." I played with my shoulder-length hair as he stared at me. I was never good under a person's eye; I tended to do stupid things when people openly watched me. Ororo and Rogue primped my face and hair for the event, determined that I catch a man's eye. I suppose I did, in fact.

"You know, I once thought that speaking English was never "in the cards" for me. But I learned fluently, and caught on very quickly. Dancing will be the same for you." He gestured for a waiter, spoke stern dialect, and turned back to me. "Perhaps you are in better spirits to indulge in dessert?"

I stared at him quizzically; what exactly did he just say? "So, you're the guy who sent me all that stuff?"

He wasn't embarrassed, or disturbed by the revelation. Piotr only nodded, a half-lidded smirk taking his face over. "Yes, and I was more than surprised at your nerve." He chuckled, as if he only expected to be surprised. "And I knew that I needed to steal you away before another man could tonight." I was nervous, mostly because no one had ever spoken to me like that before, and partially because it created this knot within the pit of stomach. It started to burn wickedly and licked at my skin slowly, trailing miniscule burn patterns along the inner wall of my belly. It was… exciting. It was so new.

I stuttered as a plate of Tiramisu presented itself before me. "Why didn't you just approach me?" He was beautiful, so he couldn't have any identity issues. He obviously had enough money, so he wasn't afraid that I wasn't impressed. What was it?

"I wanted you to feel special, is all. Think of this as your reward for facing your fear and dancing." Piotr took a healthy swig of his drink, pressing his knee against mine. We sat close together, and it was the first time I hadn't moved away or made an awkward face. I wanted to feel him near me, and I wanted him to apply pressure. We talked no more about the gifts and dancing, but more of our families and accomplishments. At one point, he was elaborating on a snowstorm he once encountered in Siberia when I rested my elbow on the table and jutted the side of my cheek on my fist softly, listening whole heartedly to his tale. "You look so beautiful when you do that."

I blushed and allowed my arm to fall away; the perpetrating limb now rested with the other in my lap, where it sat away from his eyes. "No, I don't." Jesse never said things like that to me; they weren't true, I knew that. I was a figureless, plain looking woman with the premature attributes of a little girl. There was nothing worldly or beautiful about me.

"I assure you, my kitten, I do not lie." I giggled at the serious tone he used. I was his kitten now? Night Crawler would have a fit if he saw the way I fawning all over this Piotr guy. Jesse tried for many months now to get in my pants- he didn't have the charm or the wit to do so. I was a closed off shelf, a girl whom wanted to save her virginity for the "right one". Jesse, with all his tattered jeans and mainstream rock obsession, didn't make the cut for the "right one". He didn't even come close. I mean, I cared for him. I was there for him when Mystique left him to the clutches of the Brotherhood, which worked closely with Professor X and our Field Leaders. Rogue and I were studying on a late night with Cyclops and Storm when the call came.

Nightcrawler was maniacal when we arrived at Brotherhood Headquarters. My heart felt for him, but that was just empathy and a tad smidgen of affection. It wasn't attraction, and it wasn't love. "No one has ever told you that?" His light brown eyebrows knitted together. No, they hadn't! I was occasionally told I was cute in a new shirt or a colorful dress, but I had never heard _beautiful_ directed at me.

I shook my head. "No, and it's too strong of a word anyway." I smiled, finishing my expensive dessert. I peered up at the same clock again, and this time the hands were conspiring against me and showed eleven thirty. "I have to get going if I want to make it home on time. Thank you for tonight, Piotr. I appreciate everything." I stood and left before he could try and make me stay. If he asked, I knew I would give in. That's why I didn't even give myself the chance to do wrong! I collected my coat from a frail looking girl and walked out into the chilly air of October. A gust of powerful wind hit me roughly, causing goose pimples to rise all over my body. I slid into my coat and scuttled to the curb, raising my hand to hail a cab. It really was silly of me to not accept Mr. Summers' offer to pick me up tonight, but I didn't want to be any bother to him.

God knew he needed to focus more on Mrs. Grey-Summers than anyone else. "Kitten!" Piotr called from behind me, his face flush and his nose red in the cold. His Easter European roots showed in the cold fall as he approached me, waving off the cab that stopped for me. "Allow my driver to take you home, please? I want to know that you make it home safely."

I looked down at our feet, wondering when this all happened. Why was he so damn nice to me? Why did he care so much for a stranger? "You don't need to do this." I looked back up at him. "You don't need to be this nice to me."

"I want to be. I would take you back myself, but I have unfinished business to handle inside. Tell Provo where it is you live and he will take you there. Good evening, Miss Pryde." He led me to the car, where a suited man held the door dutifully open for me. I uttered a silent thank you, not really wanting to pay the cab fair all the way out to Chicago's countryside. It was quite a drive, anyway.

He was already turned around and striding back to the lively party. I contemplated my actions for the next few seconds, and before I could rationalize anything, I ran to his side and grabbed an end of his coat. "Piotr!" He turned around and looked down at me, consciously readying himself for more opposition regarding my ride home. "Thank you." I began stiffly and took a few more steps so we were full on, nose to chest. I got on my tip toes and planted a firm, puckered lips kiss on his cheek and held myself there. It was like gravity was on my side for once, gracing me the god-sent elegance to teeter on my tiptoes and not crash right into him. "Goodnight, Mister Rasputin." I stepped away, sending him the sweetest smile I had ever given another person. I knew at that moment that he was and always would be the man of dreams, whether or not I would ever see him again.


	2. When It Rains

"Assignments are due Monday when you walk in. Class is dismissed." A few seconds later, a resounding bell rang throughout the school. I was awoken from my breezy day dream as Rogue nudged me in a goading gesture. I snapped up and stuffed papers and books in my shoulder bag. Where was I these days? Oh, yeah- with Piotr. A large smile overtook my face, and I was all I had left in me that kept my lips sealed about why. Rogue was a little… skeptical about romantic fantasies. She and Bobby were plain old people, whom came together to quench his thirst for something forbidden and to sate her obsession with Professor Logan.

"Really, Kitty?" Rogue's country drawl resounded as we roamed the hallways to our shared dorms. "Look, I don't know what happened that night at Mayor Denali's Coronation… but you came back different."

I scoffed, tossing my bag on my bed before turning to my closet. "Like how?"

She shrugged awkwardly, standing still by the door. "I'm not so sure myself. You juts kinda look… happy and day-dreamy. Like you're in love, or something." I held my breath; would she find out my secret? Would she realize that every night I pretended to fall asleep, I really laid awake at night thinking about him. Thinking about his beautiful face and flawless physique- I imagined he would tense under my touch. "But then again, you're so naïve, Kitty." The dismissive eye roll disintegrated my fears. Rogue thought I didn't have the guts to fall in love. She thought that only _she_ did.

"Whatever." I replied stiffly, not wanting to get into an argument over this. She was just trying to get a rise out of me. _Wolverine_ probably didn't stare at her long enough at lunch- or maybe Bobby was trying to get into her pants again. What ever it may have been, I was stuck with her moody self for the rest of the weekend. "What are you doing this weekend?"

Rogue shrugged once more, flopping down on her bed with an ungraceful _thump_. "I don't know. Maybe catch a movie at the cinema? Go out to eat at that new Steakhouse?" Rogue didn't have very many friends here, mostly for the fear of her gift (to suck the mortality of another) and also the pure avoidance of her self-deserving bitchy attitude. So when she made plans, either Bobby or I were the sole company of her time. And since Bobby was sent home on a four business-day suspension starting yesterday, he wouldn't be back until next week. Everyone knew that Dr Grey-Summers appreciated no little boy making suggestive remarks- her fuse was extremely short on Thursday in Chemistry.

"How about…" I tipped my index finger against my upper lip, "we-"

A firm knock on the door ended our conversation as quickly as it began. Rogue got up quietly and opened the door to our new guest. He was a dark-skinned man (Latino blood, perhaps), with a shiny red tint to his dark brown mass of short curls. Marie was silently taken aback, I could tell that much. It was an electrical current ran from the door handle she was holding onto to the ground his expensive, shiny loafers were standing on. She blinked a few time before murmuring a shaky "Good afternoon". She never greeted anyone at our door- guests were lucky if she didn't slam their faces against the swinging door as they were tossed out. "As to you, Miss Rogue."

Her face blushed crimson. I had to agree, it was weird to hear outside people call us mutant nicknames. Actually, it was odd to hear the name from another mutant, too. Nicknames that we acquired through studies would surely stick with us when we entered the X-men regime, I supplied for myself. "Are you looking for a teacher, or perhaps our Dean? If so, you're on the completely wrong wing." I pushed, clearly stating that I was done with their goo-goo gaga games for now. If I couldn't romanticize, she couldn't either!

"No, I am on the right wing. You must be Miss Shadowcat?" I nodded- _her in the flesh_, I thought! Yeah, sure, I got the whole being a _shadow_ and morphing through walls. But _cat_? I mean seriously, it only gave people like Professor Logan more ammunition to obsessively tease me with my height. But a nickname was a nickname, and we all had one for a good reason or two. "Take this." He pulled an envelope from his inside pocket; I just noticed how nicely he dressed. He was lacking a visitor's pass (and had somehow dodged all of the keen-eyed professors) and with a nice outfit like he was wearing, he didn't blend in easily. Actually, he didn't blend in at all. I accepted the material from him, watching him with guarded eyes and he stepped in the room and closed the door behind him. "A friend of mine sent me to give this to you. He apologizes for the _proxy_, as I am being referred as." His manly chuckle filled the small room. _He_? He- as in sexy, sultry, ultra-fancy Piotr?

But I didn't want to jump the gun. What if this guy was from the Higher Learning for Mutants program or another scout for a graduate school specializing in my sort of lifestyle? "He" had a varied space of definitions. This was my first impression to him; I needed to make it worth it! "What is your name again?" I thought it funny that he knew both of our names (and could place the correct alias to the correct body), yet we still didn't know his. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Rogue still drawling.

"My name is Leandres Tellobuen; I am here on part of Sir Piotr Rasputin." Leandres clarified quickly, clearing his throat as he traveled the space of the room to the window. Sir? The title was utterly befitting of the regal man I met a week ago. I opened the letter quickly, fumbling with the expensive parchment under my finger tips. "Impressive campus, I must say." His flickered slightly from my peripherals. "Graduation is looming in your horizon, I suppose." Did he know everything about us? I idly wondered if he was a telepath. I hated when people could read my mind! So I started thinking about ludicrous things, trying to gauge if could see inside of my mind. When he didn't make any comments or complain, I looked down at my letter instead.

_**Dear Miss Pryde,**_

_**You were so beautiful last week, and I find that I am irrevocably addicted to both your scent and charisma. We had nothing close to enough time with one another. It is in my dearest interests that you will accept my invitation to a private island of mine, off the coast of Portugal. I understand that you have studies to attend to at X-Men University, but I can arrange plans for you if you wish for me to. I have a particularly close companionship to both Dean Xavier and Dr. Jean Grey-Summers, I promise it will be no problem. All you must do is accept my request.**_

_**My dreams consist of only you, Katherine Pryde. You consume my thoughts one more than merely a few occasions, and I feel that I must immediately quench the thirst to be in your company in order to keep my sanity. I am truly sorry that I could not invite you tête-à-tête, but I am on a business trip in Malaysia. If you so chose to accept, you will have one day to pack your travel clothing and my personal aircraft will take you to Gosilenae Island.**_

_**I wish to see you soon, Kitten.**_

_**Fondly,**_

_**Piotr J. Rasputin**_

My hands shook as I looked back up at Leandres. Was this just another daydream? It couldn't be real! I wasn't the type of girl to be swept up off her feet! I never met a person who had their own driver, let alone a private island and private jet. This was all too impossible… too good to be true, exactly. I thrust the letter back into his hands and shook my head. "No, this is some kind of prank. There's no way… no, just no! I can't, I'm sorry, but you're going to have back to wherever you came from." What a sick joke to play; who in the world even enjoyed playing with a nineteen year old's emotions?

"You don't believe this? Why not, Miss Pryde?" His face turned hard, as if I were making him reach the end of his stick.

"Because… I don't know. It just seems like too much, and I refuse to be played like a foolish little girl!" I tilted my chin up and looked away. He pulled another object from his pocket, and I almost expected it to be a "just-incase-she-doesn't-believe-you" letter as a backup plan, instead, it was a sleek, silver little phone that he dialed angrily on and put to his hear. After a few sentences in a completely different conversation, he approached me with two purposeful strides and held the cell out to me. I cleared my throat and held it against my ear. "Hello?"

It only took a second for Piotr's voice to infiltrate my brain. "Leandres says that you are unbelieving of my invitation." He began smoothly. I sensed a certain edge to his voice. Both of these men were impatient and complete brutes! I was sure they didn't know how to take no for an answer. "I am not aware of the men that have sought you out before me, but I assure you, Miss Pryde, this request is authentic."

"I mean, the plane, the island, everything? It's all real?" I rambled quietly into the phone, turning away from the other two people in the room. He replied with a stern yes and I sighed. "Why me? I'm nothing special, Piotr. I'm not that interesting or time-consuming either."

He chuckled on the other line. "If only you were more aware of yourself, Miss Pryde. So, do you accept my invitation?"

I bit my lip in contemplation. It would have been so easy and uncomplicated if I said no and hung up right then. But I never did learn how to take things easy, mother never taught me how to be simple. That woman only taught me how to embrace life, and all of its components. "Yes, I would love to come. You are sure my professors will not miss my presence?"

"We will only be away for two weeks. I have already spoken to Professor Xavier, and for a favor he has owed, he will consider for absence as leave for bereavement. You do not know how greatly I look forward to seeing you once more." His compliments made me blush and irate color. Why did everything he says make me feel so frisky? I wanted to jump his bones through the phone!

"I can't wait to see you, too." And I hung up quickly, not wanting to hear anything more. Why was I being so spontaneous, with a man I hardly even knew? I turned to Leandres and handed him back his phone. Rogue kept trying to catch my eye, but I refused to look her in the face so soon. She would see right through me, and begin her lecture in front of this stranger. "Thanks." I murmured quietly.

"It is of no problem. It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Rogue." He winked in a sideways gesture to Alice, whom colored naturally beside me. Leandres was almost out of the door when he turned to me. "A car will arrive outside of the front gates at eight o clock in the evening. Your voyage begins there." And he left, leaving a thousand questions on Rogue's lips.

"What? _Voyage_? What's he talking about, Kitty?" Her mouth spluttered off. "What was that letter about anyway? And do you know that man?"

I shook my head. "That's the first time I've ever met him. But the letter… well, you know about that party I went to a week ago?" She nodded impatiently. "Well, I met this guy there. Turns out, he's got lots of money and invited me to spend a few weeks on his private island." I said quickly, not wanting to lose my stamina midway. "And I know it all sounds ludicrous, but the way he spoke about it-"

"Kitty, you just met the guy! Why trust him? You're seriously going to fly to another country and meet up with this guy? What if he's some oddball with weird fetishes? What if he's some hateful regular guy who wants to trap and use you for your mutant powers?" Rogue was still flying a million miles a minute. I had trouble processing her whole dialogue, but the last part made me laugh.

She gave me a disapproving look when I couldn't stop. "I'm sorry, Rogue- but it was funny! What is he going to do, abuse my power by morphing through too many walls? Islands don't have very man walls anyway." I shrugged lightly, trying not to take this far. "Piotr is a nice guy, and we hit it off quickly. The way I figure it, if I pass this opportunity up, I'll never get the chance to have a whirlwind adventure like this again. My chances of having something exciting happen again will be slim to none!"

"You're a mutant, very close to joining the X-men ranks! There's a mutant versus mutant war kindling, and you say there will be no excitement? You're crazy, Kitty, if you actually plan on going to this place with this stranger." Rogue pointed out sweetly, flopping back onto her bed. So, she thought I would pull out last minute and be a fraidy cat? I didn't think so!

"So, you're saying that you wouldn't jump at the chance of going to a private island owned by that Leandres dude if he asked you to?" Her eyes got wide. There, aha!

"Well, no, because that's just _dumb_ and _impulsive_-"

"Be honest!" I chastised her. We knew each other like the back of our hands, and I knew when she was lying.

Rogue sighed and shut her eyes. "Yes, yes I would. But I am a good judge of character, and I know how to protect myself. I wouldn't go if I knew there was even a smidgen of doubt in his integrity and purpose. And you can not compare our decisions, Kitty. If anything gets wrong or goes bad, all I have to do is touch him. I have that fall back on." So that fixed everything? Never did she mention that she would be leaving behind Bobby, and the fact that she knew him for ten hours less than I knew Piotr didn't make an appearance either. I had no boyfriend or close companion I was abandoning. And I knew him well enough… as far as names went.

I stood awkwardly in the middle of the room. "I'm leaving tomorrow night. Packing sounds reasonable… and I would love it if I could borrow one of your swimsuits? The one with the pink and blue, please." I drawled out the please, making a small smile start on her lips. She peeked her eyes open and sat up a little.

"I'll help you pack and let you borrow anything you want, as long as you make me one promise." Rogue's face suddenly grew serious. I nodded eagerly, traveling to her soft bed and sitting down. She rummaged through her personal desk drawer next to her lamp and turned back to me once she found what she was looking for. Rogue placed the clank of metal in my hands, sending me a stern look. "This is a pocket knife with a blade sharp enough to cut through glass. I want you to take it with you, and only ever bring it out or use it in an emergency." I nodded, taking this as seriously as she wanted me to.

I knew she only cared about my safety and protection. That's why I loved her.


	3. Gosilenae Island

I didn't know what I expected the island to be, but I knew what it ended being was not in the realm of my imagination (and Wolverine often reminded me how big that stupid part of me was). Rogue was finally coaxed into letting me go with a promise that I would call her as soon as I touched onto dry land; I awoke Friday morning with a small note next to my bed, written by Headmaster Xavier with his own permission to leave school grounds; the next few hours were a blur as I was escorted into a shiny limousine, helped onto a private aircraft, and nearly carried out by a doorman with my bags already ahead of me. A deep blue ocean surrounded Gosilenae, and if I had ever felt small against the gruesomely tall world around, this did nothing to my complex. It was a modest side length of an island width wise, but everything was built _up_, not out. His suave beach house was atop a bluff, premiumly overlooking the ocean on one side, and the entire green island from the other side. This was all his? From the airplane's landing platform to the front door of the fenced estate was a few steps; my mom and dad enjoyed vacationing to tropical destinations a lot when I was younger (before they had a hefty tuition to pay to Xavier Academy for Mutants), and so I knew the whole airport deal. The baggage/body search, the extremely long line to board, the gruesome hours if a mishap happened before take-off, baggage pickup, the traveling to your hotel in airport-traffic. Flying in Piotr's airplane and landing in his own was a completely different experience.

The hundreds of palm trees and fresh-looking green cactus plants made my lungs feel so big and full of fresh air. As I was shown around the two-story villa by the main housekeeper, I almost imagined living my whole life like this- in near solitude with wildlife surrounding me at every corner. The villa was painted a nude brown, the roof being a darker tiled color of tan. "This villa has been in Mr. Rasputin's family since the early twentieth century, right before World War I." Mrs. Guarez (Guidonia, as she preferred to be called), pointed down a hall of a few doors. "Those are the guest bedrooms, though I clean them and change the sheets often; there have never been any guests since his father had full ownership of the home." The round woman with pink cheeks and dark hair held one arm against her chest, and the other hand cupped the side of her face in worry. "That was _well_ over twenty years ago." Her eyes wandered for a few seconds before she sighed and climbed up the stairs ahead of me. "I neglected to show you the kitchens because Mr. Rasputin directly told me not to. The workers are in there most of the day, preparing the three meals of the day. Breakfast is ready at eight o clock every morning, and dinner is served at nine in the evening. Lunch is anywhere in between that, and if there is ever a meal or dish you wish to eat, you must only request it."

"Thank you." It was only thing I muttered. What else was I supposed to say? I wondered how she knew such good English, but spent her days taking care of this lonely place her whole life? She looked to be about fifty- where did she spend her time when she wasn't here?

"My husband, Gallardo, travels with his young gardening team and taking a boat to the mainland for food supplies and tools every morning." I nodded with a tight smile. Why was she so accepting, and asking no prodding questions? Wasn't she the least bit curious why, all of sudden Piotr had a guest (a young, pretty one) when before, he never thought to shed any light on this island? I was, myself, very suspicious. "I was instructed to prepare the quarters next door to the Master Suite, which is where Mr. Rasputin shall be staying. I suggested the Red Room at the end of the second hall, but he insisted you take slumber next to him." Mrs. Guarez had a cheeky smirk on her face, as if suggesting that I make the move he was trying to insinuate by putting our rooms so close together. I kept mute and moved past her into the room, and was astonished by what I saw. A large, king-sized bed with a silky canopy draping down into tied-back angles (so that I could pretend to be a Victorian queen and completely drape my bedsides at dawn, if I so pleased). The walls were adorned with old looking wallpaper, early forties I would say. The telephone by the wall was modern, as well as the multiple outlets in the walls. I almost forgot what century I was living in.

"This is beautiful- the room, the house, the island! Everything is so regal here." I gushed, touching the slender wood of the full-wall armoire, then moved to the antique vanity mirror station. I sat at the cedar chair and stared into the mirror, imaging what Piotr's mother might have looked like getting dressed and applying makeup in this very seat I was soiling. "Whose room was this?"

Mrs. Guarez got a guarded look as she patted my shoulder lightly. "This was Mrs. Rasputin's room; do you see that adjoining door?" she pointed to the one with the tiny lock at the far top. I nodded. "I was never one to meddle in my boss' business, but it was said that Mrs. Rasputin never once slept in this room. She had her clothes and cosmetics placed in here for her own space- she was so diva-like then. But her nights were spent in the Master Suite, so don't worry about treading over any toes by making yourself comfortable here. For duration of your stay, think of this room as _yours_."

I sent her a gentle smile. It was really sweet of her to prep me and explain everything before I met Piotr for the… second time in my life. But I still felt at ease, like this place was going to swallow me up any minute and I would up back in my dorm room with Rogue, loudly snoring next to me. "The bathroom has been set up with necessary toiletries fir your use, as well as a various array of bath time oils and scents- I know that they aren't popular on the western front, but perhaps you will favor them after your stay?"

I never put that kind of stuff in my bathtub. Well, I really dint take long, relaxing baths. I was always showering- in and out, with no drawn-out singing time or dilly-daddling in between. Life was too short to spend it in the bath, wasting away the hours of the day! But I would never smart off and say something like that to Mrs. Guarex, I was still in deep appreciation for all of her help. After thanking her profusely, she excused herself from the room and went down to the kitchens to have them prepare for a chicken salad lunch for me. Me, alone! I didn't have to pay for it and I didn't have to wait in a huge line to get served exactly what I wanted! Oh, I was going to get used to this life far too soon for my own good. Having already taken a bath before the trip, I set out to fill up my new walk-in closet and fancy armoire, only to find that all of my clothes had already been unpacked and put away- _to my liking_. How did they know I liked to keep my underwear and socks together in the bottom drawer? And how did the servants know I liked my tank tops separated from my other close, a drawer all by itself? All of my jeans, tops, and formal clothing were hung neatly up and in an orderly fashion. It was way neater than I could have ever made it. I gave up trying to find simple tasks to do and plopped onto the mattress, feeling it completely envelope me as I squirmed around to get more comfortable.

I already had a long list of things to do while I was here. Check out the waterfalls I got a glimpse of as we were circling to land, go swimming and interact with the life under the sea, walk the beach in a complete circle, take a million pictures, sleep in for the next fourteen days… a bright smile overtook my face. Sleep, swimming, and free food made me a very happy person.


	4. Captivating

I fidgeted under the table, nervously awaiting Piotr's presence. Where was he? Mrs. Guarez promised he would be here by mealtime, and I spent my lunch with empty space in the small common room next to my bedroom. As another maid entered the room, I shook my head softly when she began to pour more wine into my glass. Did I not look like a little girl to these people? Why were they constantly trying to serve me alcohol? I had been ID'd constantly in my little town when I was forced to buy Wolverine's packs- of course I would never smoke a cigarette in my life, but he was very persuasive when it came to Field Stimulation trials. Who wouldn't agree to go and buy a few packs of cigarettes once a month, and in return be allowed to train with the elite Xmen? No one believed I was already twenty years old! "Good evening, Miss Pryde." His suave voice filled the hallow room as soon as it dripped from his lips like delectable honey.

His fingers glided through my hair that I let fall around my shoulders, and they rested on the high bone of my shoulders. I gasped at the touch; I hadn't thought about exactly what would happen when I came to the island. Did he expect me to… have sex with him? I internally shook my head. No, he wasn't that type of guy- he couldn't be. Piotr dipped his body down so that his pink lips would touch my exposed shoulder softly. I bit my lip to withhold the moan of excitement and pleasure that simple gesture sent through me. I was inexperienced as they came, and I knew that I would eventually be with a man like that… but I didn't expect that moment to be this week. And I would have never thought it'd be with a man like Piotr. "G-good evening, Mister Rasputin." I replied shakily, clearing my throat to rid myself of the unsettling burn in my throat and lower abdomen.

I could have sworn I heard a low, gruffly chuckle but I quickly looked away. It wasn't my fault that his touch set me on fire! He eventually traveled to his seat from across the table. Once I got the full view… his black three piece suit and silky bronze tie did me in. What kind of girl could actually resist a man so delectable? "I trust that your trip was uneventful? And the staff are courteous and answer to every one of your wants?"

I nodded with a small smile. "Everyone is so nice to me. Thank you."

He dipped his head in acknowledgement. "As they should be. I am only grateful that you accepted my invitation. This island has been on reserve for a beautiful woman like yourself; I have not properly shown to your quarters and the land that stretches far past this home, but I promise to make haste tomorrow morning. But if you wish to sleep until late morning, I will not have a problem putting our excursion off until after noon." He said as he picked up his silver piece of cutlery and began to spin a few strings of spaghetti.

I picked at my own plate gently. I loved to eat, and I loved any sort of pasta with sauce. But how was I supposed to ear like a pig in front of Piotr? I didn't want him to think I had the table manners of a cavewoman! "Are you kidding me? I'll definitely wake up early with you." I shoved a forkful in my mouth and licked extra sauce off of my lower lip quickly. This stuff was delicious! "I cant wait to see the whole island! Mrs. Guarez showed me some of the rooms, but there were a few rooms she said would be better explained by you. Oh, and I cant wait to see the maze of banana trees on the western part of the island- we saw them when we were circling the island to land." I rambled aimlessly, all the while missing the amused expression on his chiseled features. "And by the way, my room is so beautiful! I mean, from the carpet to the closet to the super fancy vanity… it's all so grandeur!" I became of his eyes staring right at me, and I blushed a furious shade of pink at the realization. Why did I ramble all of the time? I mean, he already knew this was a wonderful place- he owned it! "I'm sorry for talking so much. Obviously you already know this is a great place." I giggled (which was my only defense in this humiliating moment) and took a healthy drink from my cup.

Piotr's crystal blue eyes shined with mirth as he pursed his lips in a sexy smirk. "I spend my days talking down to old, balding chairmen and persuading companies to fall under my own in three hour intervals. Believe me when I say that it is refreshing to hear someone other than myself talking." I blushed at his compliment, never expecting to hear him say that he wanted to listen to my banter. "I take an early morning run along the shore, so if you awake before I make it back take the liberty of eating breakfast without me."

"No." I shook my head. "I'll wait for you." I didn't like eating by myself- I grew up on a crowded kitchen table with three older brothers and two healthy parents, and then I went on to Professor X's academy where I sat at long rows of tables surrounded by tons of teens and few others my age. The silence killed me. "Do you want me to put together some food for our day? I can make some sandwiches or whatever." I shrugged.

"Mrs. Guarez has instructed the cooks to prepare a basket of food for us already, and I made it very evident that I didn't want you to serve in the kitchens at all. That is not your job." his tone of finality was hard to argue with, so I didn't. We talked about a lot of things over dinner, like our hobbies and family and friends. He had one young sister, Illanyia, and I found that I wanted to meet her very soon. The way he portrayed her was perfect- she had beautiful blonde hair, tall as a runway model, a 4.0 GPA at her University in Massachusetts, and a sweet soul to match. Who was honestly _that _perfect and all around great? _No _one! But then again, he was so beautiful and rich, and took me in with open arms for no good reason… and here I was believing in every word he said. I tried to keep my mind open and accept everything I thought before was impossible and unreal.

"I don't mind, really. I used to cook for my brothers when my mom and dad were pulling double shifts anyway." I smiled brightly still, not put down by his words at all. Sure, I wasn't the greatest cook in the world… but I did have a special recipe for Gingerbread men and an excellent hand at meatloaf. Anthony, Chase, and Eric would have starved if I hadn't stood up at fourteen and finally did some cooking! My mother always assumed that since Anthony was already in city college, he would take some responsibility and take care of the house. Yeah, right! Just because he was eight years older than me didn't mean he actually cared. Chase was a few years younger than Anthony, and Eric was only one year under Chase.

"So, you were the only girl in the house?" He raised an inquisitive eyebrow at me.

I nodded. "Sometimes their girlfriends would come over, but I never really got along too well with any of them anyway. Anthony liked to date only feminists in college, and their dreary conversations on the lack of strong, independent women in the world kill my mom and I every time. Chase liked girls who didn't do much but giggle and serve him night and day. Eric… liked to sneak around with women. It wasn't a real relationship for him unless the girl he was dating was already taken." Why was I telling him all of this? It wasn't like he actually cared about my brothers and my dysfunctional family- I didn't really care for them much, myself. But it was so darn easy to just keep spilling the family secrets! "Of course, that stopped after awhile. But once I started attending Professor X's Academy for Mutants, I saw less and less of them. Occasionally on holidays Eric will visit from California, and Chase is always traveling from once place to another. After high school, we all realized that given the choice to be as far away from each other as possible, we would happily take it. It was always fights about girls and chores with them, and never any of the stress laid on their shoulders."

"They allowed you to take all of the responsibility at such a young age?" His kind tone made me feel comforted and coddled like a little baby, but it felt nice that it sounded like he cared. I went from taking care of my brothers to taking care of Rogue and her love triangle with Bobby and Wolverine. I never caught a beak!

I shrugged and sipped from my white wine. "It wasn't a big deal, but over the years it all kind of grew on us. We all went our separate ways."

Piotr chuckled. "That is nothing like the story of my relationship with Illanyia. She is free-spirited and bright, but knew not to wonder past the protective gates that kept her safety. In Siberia, a fierce war was waging with the farmers and the buearocrats- no one was invincible to the hatred one had for another. My father was a businessman with farmer's blood running through his veins, and he knew he would not chose just one side to protect." I was enthralled by the way he spoke- so captivating and intense, it was hard to look away. "So, when I was merely ten years old he brought my little sister and I here to the United States to escape the fate of death by one side, or death by another."

My eyes filled with remorseful moisture. How horrible to have to leave your home, just because some people couldn't get along! "How did your mom take it? Did she leave with you guys?"

Piotr nodded. "Yes, Mother loved Papa very much and would follow him to ends of Earth if that is where he so pleased to flee." I smiled at his description. I could imagine loving a man enough to follow him to another part of the world- but I didn't expect to love like that anytime soon. "We came to Hearsle a few days after we touched down in New York, where a handful of my papa's brothers lived. Papa regarded himself with politics and soon created a company of his own, Prochnost, Inc. which I now am President of as my father retired."

I was more than impressed- I was dumbfounded! Wow, his life was so much cooler than my own! Being born in one continent than fleeing to another in the middle of the night was so… refugee-ish! And the fact that his father built a big and burly company from a few clever social strings and the will to be something greater… no wonder Piotr always looked so powerful. He was. "What exactly does the company do?"

His eyes flicked from his swishing glass of wine to my lips. "Lots of different things. But mostly, we handle the buying, repairing, and reselling of businesses falling under."

"So, you cheat little companies because you have all the money in the world and they don't?" I got sort of offended, even if my family had never had a company to fall under and be swept up by a shark corporation. My mother was a nurse and dad worked for the city of Hearse as a electrician tech- they worked for the man and under the man! Never the other way around.

A bemused look overcame his face. "Not at all. Their own financial situation cannot be blamed on Prochnost. I handle most of the deals my company closes, and believe me when I say that we offer them a more than generous bailout. They are allowed to live comfortably for a few years, or until they gain more wealth playing the market. My company is put under the same amount of stress as they. Only difference is that I have sealed every loose end and patched every ugly corner of Prochnost. I would die before my father's dream be shattered."

I nodded, respecting him when he put it like that. And besides, I didn't know anything about business anyway. I didn't really even have a responsible outlook on the future- I planned on fighting bad guys and ridding the world of evil for the rest of my life. How _financially supportive _was that? What, live in a mansion that not one of I owned and ride a rickety old motorcycle everywhere I went like Wolverine? Or perhaps throw myself so much in my work that I never left the underground laboratories to my own lavish home with a handsome husband like Dr. Grey-Summers did? Bless my soul that I wouldn't end up like Professor X- solely depending on a team to take and fix the crooked path of the world that he had no feet to walk on himself?

We continued to explain our childhood and family homes before the clock struck eleven o clock. "Already?" I said aloud, looking behind me at the imposing grandfather clock standing proudly.

Piotr nodded. "Time disappears when conversation is so captivating, yes?" I nodded with a silent grin of my own. _Captivating _was exactly word for Piotr.

He showed me to my room and kissed my hand goodnight before entering the room next to me. I was _captivated_.


	5. Someone Please Call nine1one

**A/N: ARTIST OF THE WEEK:**

**Wyclef Jean**

**The song I used is called "911"**

"These were planted by my own great-grandfather, Brielen Rasputin, when he bought the land in a treaty of peace with the Portuguese in his young adulthood. Beautiful, yes?" He gestured to a bounty of wild petunias, surrounding a picturesque swamp-type pond with fruitfully inhabitants pouncing from one leaf to another right in front of me. His eyes were dead set on my face as he spoke, making everything feel so great. I nodded eagerly and leaned forward to touch one, retracting my hand quickly when it nearly wilted at my touch. Is that how Rogue felt about everyone around her? Like one touch was going to kill something so beautiful? "They pretend to be fragile, but can withstand enormous amount of pressure. Much like you, Miss Pryde." I flushed at his compliment (or was it an insult?). "So thin and small, seemingly breakable as porcelain. But so strong and rock-hard at your core." He tipped my chin up with his index finger, and I was in an angle to see how the daylight peeking from the mist clouds shined through his platinum hair and allowed his light skin to glow. "Please allow me the permission of a kiss, my kitten?"

Was I drooling noticeably? Did he realize how crazy he was driving me? Instead of saying something stupid and making things weird, I just nodded and turned my body to face him fully. How was I supposed to do this? Did he know I would go left and he would automatically go right? Was I suppose to put my hands in a certain place? On his shoulders, on his face, under his butt? I felt so stupid, I knew I wasn't up for something this big! But his pink lips crashed against my smaller ones before I had the chance to mess the situation up. My body stayed molded against his, but my mind went somewhere else completely. I was floating high above the both of us, my eyes shut harshly and my breath nearly gone. Piotr pulled away in haste and breathed deeply; he was kissing me until he had nearly no breath left? I licked my lips, feeling absolutely hot and bothered in a place that had never been affected before. My arms flung around his neck and I got on my tiptoes to kiss him, but it was all worth it when he lifted me up against him. His hands formed around my rear end nicely, but I blushed like a shitless rabbit caught stealing from a garden. "Oh my god. This is so embarrassing." I buried my forehead in his chest and giggled loudly.

That was the best moment in my life. It seemed like everything I had ever done seemed to be nothing- that it all led up to this moment. "Kissing is embarrassing, kitten?" I nodded and finally looked up at him. Why were we so close, and why was I suddenly almost eye level to him? I looked down and moved my toes slightly in my laced up Keds. He put me on his feet? Didn't it hurt to carry another's weight? When I moved to shift my weight off of him, he pulled me back. "You aren't heavy, kitten. I promise. But why are you so… frigid against me?"

I shrugged. "I've never kissed a guy. Well, I guess, until now." I placed my hands down on his forearms for balance as his face morphed into some kind of disbelief.

"Never before? Truly?" I nodded, kind of put off at his reaction. What was so wrong or unbelievable about that? Lots of people waited for physical contact until they were older. "Then I am proud to be your first. I appreciate your beautiful gift far more than you will ever understand." I nodded in awe. Did his dad teach him how to charm a girl this great? Or was this totally natural? Why had I been so scared to kiss a guy, when I felt this great after it happened? The stupid smile stayed on my face as he guided me through the land beyond his mansion, holding my hand and keeping me close to him- why had I refrained from holding another man's hand, even if it made me feel so safe and wanted? I shook my head in disbelief, wondering what other wonderful experiences I had deprived myself of. "What is wrong, kitten? Is the weather too dispiriting for your liking?" I shook my head again; the light breeze and piercing sunlight felt good in my hair and against my skin.

"No, I'm fine. Just thinking." I shrugged. "Can I ask you something?" He nodded, swinging our hands together as we walked through the sand. "Why did you bring me here? I mean, I get that you like me and everything. But a date on the town or showing up in a swooped up, glitzy car in front of the Academy would have sufficed. Seriously." I emphasized on the last part, staring at him in a side-along stance as the ocean waves lapped at our feet.

Piotr graced me with one of those smiles. "The question should not be why I brought you here, but why not? Why would I not show every broad luxury and grace you with the last silver penny I own? I want you to know that everything you see can be yours. Kitten, I want you to realize that I have so much more to offer you." I was suddenly stripped of my reserve, as I suddenly saw him in a different light. This didn't seem realistic at all. None of it made sense.

"Who are you?" The question popped and floated in the air around us. All I knew about him was his name and that he had a lot of money to spend- like Donald Trump rich! "Why were you at that party last week? How did you pick me… of all the girls in that room?" No one but him, it would seem, knew of my mutiny status that night. Is that how he choose me… because he realized I was from Professor X's school for younger's? But that didn't explain anything, either. What did that have to do with anything.

"You're beautiful, Katherine. Even if you deny it so, that is the truth. You stole my breath with the first look I bestowed upon you; I understand that this is very sudden and may even seem weird to you, but my intentions are not to harm you. I only wish to spoil you for the next week. That is all. I expect nothing in return." I nodded; sure, getting spoiled for a plus to hanging around the world's hottest guy… but I grew with parents that reminded me, _"if something seems too good to be true, it probably is", _and so I wasn't capable of looking a gifted horse in the mouth. I sat my hands tenderly on his tense skin of his chest and stared deeply into his eyes. Where had I seen such a breathtaking face before? I mean, not that a face like that got lost in a sea of people. But I just knew him from somewhere.

Of course, he hadn't attended Professor X's Academy. His gift was probably inhuman strength, and manpower was always needed in the reigns of X-Men. He would have been drafted, and I would have met him by now. No, he was from somewhere else. But where else was I, save the coffee shop down the lane and the academy itself? I didn't have much of a social life, save for events like the Mayor's party (wherein no one on my team wanted to attend). "I think I'm just tired." I shook my head, and the moment was totally lost. The frustrated look on his face made me feel totally guilty, but I really did want my own time to ponder and think of where I might have known him from. I couldn't do that properly when he was staring at me with those gorgeous blue eyes of his.

But he was a gentleman and nodded, stepping backward to shake my hands from his body. I visibly cringed- why did I have to go and say things like that? Why couldn't I just let things happen for once? I took another step forward to try and salvage what was left our romantic time together. Piotr shook his head and faced the crystal blue shores of the ocean. "You know your way back to the villa?" It was more of a statement than a question, so I just stayed mute and waited for something else. Something that told me he wasn't completely put off and angry. "I'm going for a brisk run. I'll be back before dinner." I nodded, and turned so quick that I almost gave myself a nauseating feeling as I power-walked back up the steps and through the heavy underbrush.

"_**Someone please call 9-1-1**_

_**The alleged assailant is five foot one.**_

_**And she shot me through my soul**_

_**Feel my body getting cold."**_

Once the front door of the villa came into view, I made a mad dash for it and found my way through it quickly. The marble floor beneath my feet nearly screeched in protest as I ran over it with my dirty feet- but again, I ruined something beautiful. Why was I so damn good at that?

I laid flat on my back on the California King bed, pondering the shade of nude on the ceiling. An idle finger traced weird shapes on my stomach, all the while thinking of ways to start another conversation with Piotr. I doubted he would be back for dinner- but I mean, there weren't many other choices on the island. He couldn't just skip out and go to a nightclub or grab a brewski at the local bar. There was none, his villa was fully-equipped for needs like such. Piotr had to come home tonight, and I would make all of this better. I would explain my stupid personality and make sure that I would do my best to keep from making things weird for us. Things would change. I would make it better.

Piotr didn't show up on time for dinner, and since I never heard the front doors opening or closing, I could only assume that he wouldn't be joining me for supper at all. Mrs. Guarez passed the dining room on her stern walk past the kitchens when she dead stopped and poked her head in the door. "Miss Pryde? Why are you not eating?" Her rounded figure stepped through the door and strode directly at me. "Are you allergic to anything here? Is seafood not your preference? I made sure the dietary list Mr. Rasputin sent me would be directly followed… but then again, those _mensos _working the kitchen aren't always so bright!" I stopped her where she was with a lifted hand and hid my plate of steamed lobster from her view. I loved any type of seafood, that definitely wasn't the looming problem here.

"No, Mrs. Guarez, its nothing like that. It's just… Piotr didn't come back. I was waiting for him, but now I realize that he really isn't coming at all." A comforting look crossed her face as she pulled out a chair next to me and sat down. Was I tearing up already? I felt like such a wreck.

"Mija, you must take with that the fact that the Rasputin men are known for their short temper. Did you two have a row today?" I nodded solemny, but you really couldn't call what we had an actual argument. It was more of my morbid disbelief and his awful comforting skills. How was I really supposed to believe any of that, now that I knew all of his promises were real? "Then he must be on the mainland, blowing off his steam and ill-temper so that you do not have to face it. I promise that this part of him reflects nothing on the beautiful side of his heart- Mr. Rasputin is a very kind creature, with the tender soul of a guidable man, but has an outer shell of lion with a thorn in his paw." Mrs. Guarez glanced swiftly behind her at the open, empty doorway. "I do not wish to overstep my boundary as housekeeper and strict tour guide, but his mother has much to do with his thorny personality. She scorned him deeply as an adolescent, leaving behind this sudden out spurt of hatred within him."

I nodded. So, that was where his spontaneous anger came from? All of that childhood frustration and mistrust wound him up so tight that any knock of kick made him flip, then? I suppose I was lucky he merely turned around and dismissed me, because it could have been worse. "I'm just still kind of in awe with everything. It's hard to believe he picked me- _me_, of all of the women he saw that night. I mean, a part of me feels almost like a… prostitute, or some charity case. We were talking about it this afternoon, and he just brushed me off all of a sudden. Just turned and went for a run and told me he'd be back before dinner." I ended with a shrug. Marie would have known what to do- she was my best friend, and really the only friend I had at Professor X's Academy. Rogue knew everything there was to know about relationships and the troubles that belonged accordingly.

Mrs. Guarez suddenly tensed. "I think it's best if we talk about this another time. Finish your meal, _mija_, and take a good night's rest. Everything will be solved in the morning, I promise you that." That was _so _like my own mother. Everything was always better in the morning. Wounds, arguments, feelings- the dawn of the early sun made everything a whole lot better. I refrained from rolling my eyes and hugged her goodnight before going back to my plate. Why waste a perfectly cooked lobsters in the name of a quarrel? It was just begging me to eat it anyway.

_**A/N:**_

_**I JUST LOVED THIS STORY SO MUCH. I had to continue it after the new year!**_


	6. Hot Lava Grounds

The evening was warm, warmer than I was ever subjected to back in New York- our late autumns to early winter in Westchester County were usually bone-chilling and once every blue moon, we had snow. I flipped onto my back and stared up at the ceiling again; why was it so damn warm? It wasn't scorching hot, thanks to the highly advanced AC system. But it was contentedly… snuggle weather. Only problem was, I had no one to enjoy the welcoming warmth with. The sudden difference in weather only served as a stinging reminder that I was truly alone on this island (save for Mrs. Guarez, who was sound asleep in another branch of the villa, and Piotr himself). I considered where he was at that exact moment. Was he at some pub, drowning away his spontaneous sorrows with a fine brew and a long conversation with the scrubby-faced bartender? Or was he in some ecstasy-driven underground club, rubbing against a faceless slut and hoping she was only the first of many for the night? Was he thinking about me? Did I even cross his mind, just once?

I groaned. Oh, I was pathetic and hitting an all-time low! My feet slid over the edge of the bed and I stood up, relishing in the feeling of being alive and not tired at such a time. What I would give to have this kind of stamina back in New York, where I could be up all at times of the night to get things done. My eyes traveled to the digital clock at my bedside. Three o clock in the morning? Jesus, I should have been fast asleep in bed with the blankets drawn and the pillows cocooning my head. Lets see, who did I know that would be up at this time? With all the time change, I was sure it was late afternoon in New York. Rogue would be out of class, and perhaps even awaiting my call. She knew I never let a good thing last longer than two days. Christ, I was a walking worst-case-scenario!

I slid into a light coat and left my room in search for a telephone; Mrs. Guarez had commented on his modernization of the old villa, so he had to have a phone laying around somewhere. I avoided the room next to mine and crept along the hallway (though who I was avoiding awaking, I wasn't sure) and checked every empty room for an object they didn't have. I went downstairs and scrounged the kitchens, dining area, and both sitting rooms. What was it with Piotr and modern day things? I mean, honestly, who took strange women to private islands these days? Jeez, that was so overrated! A ride in a fancy car and a night out on the town, with the lights twinkling and the food so expensive that you wouldn't have been able to have a piece of cake and eat it if you went and auctioned your entire outfit to the kitchen staff! I scoffed angrily. Some men just didn't realize things had changed! I finally found a receiver on my way to the billiards room, where he momentarily mentioned was the least inhabitant place in his home. Who had a _private _billiards room but didn't use it?

If I was the owner of this villa, I would have it in use whenever I could. I took the cordless phone in my hand and dialed quickly, as the number was burned into my memory. Marie didn't pick up until the fourth ring. "Yes, hello?" Her hollow, whimsy voice carried over to my line and I suddenly grew teary-eyed. I missed my best friend, if not because of her caring yet unethical way of guiding my actions, but because she was always there for me.

"Hey, its me." Was that the best I could come up with? I didn't want to sound desperate and clingy by demanding she send me a airfare ticket the hell out of here, and I didn't want her to worry about me. She would be totally bummed if she ever found out how horrible of a time I was having. Marie was silent on the line for a few more seconds than usual. Even if I was usually the one that rambled on and on without any help. Marie was never this… quiet. "It's Kitty, Marie."

"Yeah, I know." Was her careful reply. That was all? No last minute scolding or hounding for details? "How, uh, how are things going over there?"

"Fun." I replied instantly and bit the inside of my cheek- did that sound like too much of a lie? Was it too quick to sound real? Oh, and Marie knew me so well!

"That's great, Kitty. That Piotr guy is treating you right?" My shoulders fell in disappointment. For some insane reason, I wanted her to see right through my façade and demand that I come straight home from my "getaway". I wanted her to realize that I was lying, and that I didn't enjoy being here.

"Of course." I answered breathlessly as I fidgeted with the arm of an easy chair I slumped in. "Of course he is. The house is big, the beach is warm, the housekeeper is friendly. It's all really wonderful, especially the housekeeper." Those three facts were truth- I hated lying to Marie.

"Oh? Is she like the maid from The Brady Bunch? All foreign and family-brained?" We laughed together, as I could imagine Mrs. Guarez in a modern Brady Bunch family, keeping the kids from mischief and helping the parents get out of problems. But then something dawned on me, how could Marie make such a connection? It almost wasn't like her to draw "housekeeper" and "woman" together. She was always complaining about stereotyping and organizing human beings by race and occupation, gender and occupation.

"No, not at all. In fact, she's more like Big Momma- so much sass and energy put into one little body. Mrs. Guarez is also super kind. Kind of like your mommy in way, Marie, always so willing to help and be there for you." I almost choked on my words- Mrs. Walker (Marie's mother) was the most de-motivational, angry, mean, rude woman I had ever met. One year, she sent us mismatched socks for Christmas with a card that read:

_Dear Marie Alice & Runt_

_I figured I'd save money this year and buy only two pairs of socks, one for my daughter and one for the girl that visits my house more frequently than my milkman. In each of your gifts, one sock is black, one sock is white- you're welcome for the clarification, as I know the only thing smaller than both of your IQ's is a pea. In a way, you can think of this gift as a two-for-one. You can wear the same color in a trade with each other, or wear them mismatched as your present and this letter entails._

_Merry goddamn Christmas to the two girls that irritate me most, all days of the year- but especially today._

_Marie-Alice, your real gift is the obnoxiously expensive tuition I pay every fourth of the month. Au Revior._

_That is all,_

_Savona Walker_

I suppose that the most expensive part of that gift was the crisp parchment and pensive inch she wrote on. "Yes, I bet. It must be wonderful to constantly be around someone like my mom." If I would have had water in my mouth, I would have spit it right out. For one, Alice wasn't sarcastic-minded and believed it was the lowest form of wit. Secondly, she never called Mrs. Walker "mom" or "mommy"- she called her what everyone called her, Mrs. Walker. What was going on with Marie today? First all weird and quiet on the phone, and now she was agreeing to the lie I just made about her mom being the greatest. What was next? "Well, I have to go now. I've got chemistry next." And she hung up the phone. I looked at the dead-tone receiver for a few more seconds than I ever had before slamming it down on the main base and stood up.

Marie would have never blown me off for chemistry. She hated any kind of science! Especially if Dr. Grey-Summers taught it. I considered calling my mother, but I didn't want an extra bout of confusion on my plate, so I opted for silence. It was difficult to push that scene out of my mind, but I did so without any more hesitation than expected. I would get down to the bottom of that mystery after I figured out where exactly Piotr had gone-

A massive body hurtled toward me with less vigor than Iceman had on a particularly sloppy rush against an Egote (all in good intentions) one day in the Battlefield Stimulation room, but it nonetheless knocked the wind out of me. Upon natural instinct, I shut my eyes and felt myself morph through his body. My alias was Shadowcat, derived solely from the fact that I was given the gift of fabricating through walls or solid masses- not human beings. And not animals, either. It was the oddest sensations of all to move through objects- it was a tingly, lighter-than-a-feather feeling all throughout my body. And most of all, it was liberating- absolutely liberating. I stumbled forward, having fabricated through his body and rushed forward. A gasp of pure adrenaline-laced breath and the surprise factor of pushing through a body racked through me before I twisted around to face it. "Piotr!" I screamed and stumbled awkwardly away- believe me, I tried to fabricate through human bodies. Rogue, Iceman, Pyro, and even Wolverine himself- since he had the titanium plates inside of him, we theorized that if I were ever capable of morphing through a half-human body, I would be able to successfully go through him.

But the test was failed and I stuck to concrete walls and metal doors. "Piotr… how did that- why were you running…you're bleeding!" It all just came out so fast, I didn't know what question I wanted answered more. Why he came at me like a madman (or in my direction, at least)? How in hell was I able to morph right through him? Why was he bleeding everywhere? "Who are you?" Was my last question, spoken clearly and softly.

His grey eyes relayed a message I then couldn't understand- now I knew it all too well.


	7. Mockingbird Sing

I suddenly took in his steel exterior, poorly hidden by the dim lights and assumed darkness around us. My fingers itched to throw something right at him, or possibly scream until he came to his senses and woke me up from this nightmare. I opened my mouth to scream when he clamped one hand over my mouth, halting my actions swiftly- his grip around my waist was eerie and unlike his own… he was pure metal and nothing else. There was no flesh and blood. "There is not a need to scream. No one will hear you, in any sense." I shook my head wildly- wait, where was the blood? As soon as this metal overtook his physique, the blood and wound disappeared?

"Why were you bleeding?" It seemed that was the only question that could come from my lips.

Piotr looked away. "The truth?" I was mute but nodded for the affect. Of course, I wanted the truth! "There was a NRD van on the mainland, though I'm not certain just whom they were searching for." His steel grey eyes caught my on and kept them right on his. "But then they said your name, and I couldn't control myself. I murdered all five of the NRD officers, not without a few scratches, of course." _Of course_, I thought sarcastically. Whom comes out crystal clean after _killing _a bunch of men? "Please don't allow this to lessen my worth in your eyes, Katya." The new nickname threw me off a bit, but it was better than being referred to as a "kitten". I shook my head- he had done this for me, after all. I knew how slimy and nasty NRD's were; Wolverine hated them more than he hated Mondays!

"I suppose I should thank you." I whispered breathlessly. His metal exterior morphed back to his regular skin, and it was so unbelievable that I had to hold onto his face and feel for him. He was here- right here with me. "You're a mutant." I offered plainly, feeling the salt in my wound. Why hadn't he said anything? He obviously knew of my status, why hadn't he come out about his? He was ashamed, wasn't he?

"Would it have changed anything?" His stoic reply and the tension in his muscles told me otherwise. His status as a mutant was completely kept from me, and nowadays being a mutant was absolutely life-changing! It wasn't just one of those little details you forget to bring up at dinnertime.

"I would have been more comfortable, yes. You know all of these things about me, and yet I don't even know your power?" I fumed angrily and slapped his body away. "What are you, Piotr? Whom does your alliance belong to?" He wasn't with the X-Men to bring prosperity, and he wasn't with the government to get rid of us either… where did he belong?

He sighed heavily and clutched his side. "You must promise to not hold any anger or prejudice against me for the truth." I only kept staring right at him as he sat down in an arm chair. "My alliance, since childhood, has belonged to the Brotherhood." The Brotherhood, really? Sure, as soon as Magneto took reign of the explosive group of mutants, they began to gain respect and rival even the X Men's manpower- that didn't mean they were up to anything good. While we at Xavier Institute for Youngsters were trying to bring prosperity and equality to both human and mutants, the Brotherhood was taking down anyone that apposed. Killing and humiliating was not the way to change other people's minds- it was the perfect way to scare them off and into the menacing arms of an NRD squad. "I acquired my gift from my father; I have the ability to transform my entire body into a form of organic steel. It isn't easy on the eyes," he sighed heavily, "but the inhuman strength and magnificent stamina that belongs to it makes up for the hideousness." I wanted to run to him and dispel any thoughts of a hideous exterior, but I fought back the urge to do so. I still didn't trust him completely.

There was something he wasn't telling me. "But this has something to do with me." I enunciated every word slowly, trying to deduct the reason in my own head. Piotr was shy and quiet, I doubted he would tell me anything if it meant admitting another truth. "The NRD's are sniffing a trail, because they know I'm here." I cleared my throat and looked at him hard. "And there's no way they can reach this island?" I inquired softly. He shook his head, regarding me with half-lidded eyes. How the hell would they know I'm here? I mean, yeah, they kept close eyes on all mutants (especially the Brotherhood) but why would they follow me to a remote island? Maybe it looked weird that a Brotherhood mutant and an X-Men were sharing a cozy week on a private island, in the middle of September.

In any case, he risked his life to throw my scent off and he… protected me. I walked out of the room in search of the closest restroom and shut the door swiftly; I was supposed to hate him and disregard any good he could ever do for me, but that was so damn hard. The mean little voice inside of my head berated my self-esteem as I searched through the cabinets for a first-aide box, but the better part of me settled for plain old demurity as I snatched it from the back of the white cupboard and walked back into the hallway. We were both adults, and he would waste not a second in running to my aide if I needed it- I had to show him some of the same respect and civil attitude! Worst case scenarios popped up in my head as I heard banging and glass shattering against the stone walls of his Villa. "Piotr!" I screamed in my lame accented pause of his odd-syllable birth name, running through the Sitting Room's doorway like a madwoman. But there he was, standing alone in the middle of a wreck.

The room looked liked a tornado had ran around in, with a tsunami rushing through for the final affect. "Wh-…what happened?" I spluttered, roaming my eyes around the entire perimeter of the room. His chest was heaving up and down in a rash manner, and I doubted he could actually hear my question over the erratic beating of his heart- or was that turned to metal already? Piotr's hands were clenched into fists at his sides and he said nothing; _this _needed to be explained! "Did you do this?" I asked, disbelief laced in my words. How could someone so sweet and demure tear up a room (the cushions of couches were ripped a part and their carcasses were thrown against the four walls, and the two overhead lamps were tossed carelessly, glass broken and lights out like the end of a night) in a matter of minutes, all alone? "All by yourself." I muttered lowly and had another look around- there was nowhere to sit and glass was everywhere (I was blissfully barefoot).

"Yes, I… my temper got the very best of me, where sense was lost and everything is broken." There an odd little note in his voice when he spoke, almost as if he truly did have regret for his actions. I nodded mutely, allowing him to continue. "I assumed you left me, and I thought my revelations scared you away." I shook my head and waved the medical kit at my eye level in a mocking gesture. Piotr walked forward, not caring what he stepped on to get to me. Was that a true analogy for our… relationship? Would he take any measures at all to have me- even _murder _five officers? It hit me suddenly and I fidgeted when his burly chest was right next to my ear. Of course, he wouldn't hurt me- but it was still a significant thing to remember. He was capable of killing, and he was capable of _this_.

Ignoring all of the red hot sirens going off behind my eyes, I grasped his hand and led him up the stairs to his room. I pushed open his bedroom door and ushered both of us in, trying my hardest to push away the giddy feeling I got just being in his vicinity. _He slept on that bed_, my mind gushed. _He used that towel to dry off every inch of his wet body right out of the shower_, my inner voice whispered. I blushed and looked away from the thrown towel and brought him to his bed, pushing against his chest softly to lie him down. I swooped the discarded towel up and brought back to us- he wouldn't mind reusing the towel, it was going to be thrown away after it saw his wound, anyway. "You could have gotten killed tonight, Piotr." I hummed softly, dipping the cloth in a cup of water at his bedside and dabbed at the open wound tenderly. My fingers ghosted over his skin as I rolled up the cotton T and pulled it over his head- I hadn't seem him bare-chested yet, and the sight was just… glorious.

I blushed severely but kept my head low as I inspected the abrasion and pulled out the necessary bandages and gels. His ripped abdominals and sculpted arms flexed with every flinch he refused to portray, and I was two inches from pressing my lips to his impressive washboard chest. "No, that could not have happened. How can you possibly kill an exterior that isn't alive?" I caught his gaze at that and absentmindedly dabbed at the outskirts of his wound with the alcohol swab. He hissed loudly and snatched my wrist painfully. "That burns, Katya." His low voice intimidated me greatly, but I didn't allow it to show on my face- he needed to remember I was doing this for his own good!

Even I knew he wasn't going to find sense in any explanation out there, so I took his hand off of my wrist and brought it to my face- I first kissed his palm, then each individual finger before ending at the wrist. When his eyes glossed over with pure wanton, I swabbed his stomach softly, making sure to disinfect the entire wound while he was… preoccupied. The abrasion was just below his left pec, and so my back was pressed against his…ahem, his proof of wanton. I decided to ignore the bulge in his slacks and went back to tending to his cut. I applied antibacterial gel to his wound and blew on his gently, only wanting him to feel relaxed and nothing more. A soft groan left his lips, and my eyes went directly to his in fear that I had been too rough with him. Instead of pain on his face, there was an expression of pure, unabated pleasure that I had trouble looking away from. His eyes were shut tight, and I suddenly realized how sexually frustrated I was making him. My fingers rushed in applying the gauze and bandage over the wound; there was no need for needlework or stitches- it was a soft tissue wound that was easy enough to clean and apply pressure until there was no blood. "You were a wonderful patient." I teased lightly, patting the bandage softly with a silent prayer on my tongue. My family was all very religious, and in one of our few conversations, he admitted that he was born Atheist, but did revert to the teachings of God and accepted his existence as well as he accepted his own name.

"And you were a wonderful doctor, Katya." His grey eyes danced in amusement as I landed a soft kiss on his nose; sure it wasn't the sexiest notion one woman could give a man, but I wasn't exactly a temptress. I was just Kitty Pryde. I shrugged softly and turned to get off his bed, but not before his arms encircled my upper torso and pulled me on top of his stomach, just below his fresh wound. I gasped loudly, not expecting his strength and being taken from the ground.

"Piotr… your cut!" I squealed lowly, touching it with light fingers as to cause no more pain than necessary. But then I felt it… through my thin night shorts, I felt the hardened muscles of stomach and I just couldn't help it- I tightened the muscles of my genital area and rocked forward. There was a few seconds of animalistic instinct that made me move forward to cause some sort of friction between us. My sweaty palms pressed against his chest, finding some guide for the brand new feelings I was experiencing. "Piotr… please." What was I begging for? What could I possibly plead for? I snapped out of the crazy haze his eyes put me in, I slid right off of his chest and sat on the edge of his bed, my back turned to him. "Please, you've just been attacked. You need to heal." I cleared my heavy mind and got up, but failed once again. This time, he only subtly held onto me- just a small grasp of my wrist. I snapped my head in direction, ready to go running if need be. There was no way I was falling into his man trap!

"Spend the night with me. I will be a gentlemen, I promise. I only want your closeness, Katya, I swear to you." His simple smile and perfect blond hair did me in, and with one last longing look at the door, I nodded and slid into the blankets next him.

"No funny business." I muttered playfully before snuggling myself against him. It was easier than I first imagined to fall asleep next to a stranger- he was massive, warm, and absolutely soft to the sleepy touch. In the middle of my sleep, I felt him pull my leg over his hip but I didn't object. I liked us being this close (in cowardice sleep, of course), if only until the sun chased away this affection he worked so hard to attain.


End file.
